Amazingly it hasn't been that bad!
Living off £12 for a week sounds mad, but we've done it,
and it really has made me stop and think.
I had got into the habit of last minute meals. It would get to 4 o'clock:
"What's for tea mummy?"
"..ermmm, something lovely..!" [hopefully opens fridge door]
But last week I was one step ahead - and it felt good. So more planning needed I think! I'm going to try to go shopping with a proper list, avoid going when I'm hungry, which is lethal - and think more carefully about what I put in my trolley.
The kids were running out of steam by the weekend. The grumbling had definitely kicked in. When they get bored they ask for food, so I took them cycling in the Forest of Dean to distract them, with the added bonus that it wore them out!
Yesterday we had pasta with the last of the chicken in a creamy sauce (butter, flour, splash of milk, water and half a stock cube, taste of mustard and a spoonful of cream cheese) which I'd frozen - and baked beans and cider bread for tea. The last of the muffins too.
I know I have more planning and cooking time on my hands because I'm not working, but a part from the bread and pizza dough, nothing I made last week took longer than 10 minutes to prepare. I am an impatient cook!
The small amount of fruit and veg has been a struggle; still we scrapped through and it's fired up my enthusiasm to grow our own.
On the plus side, the kids are drinking water and have stopped asking for juice,
I got them to eat soup and my fussy eater ate potatoes (even if he didn't know it!),
there haven't been any biscuits or crisps in the house (sadly temporary - 1 against 3),
I rediscovered muffins and would have faced a mutiny without them,
cider bread! - who'd have thought it?
I actually quite like cream crackers.
Last, but definitely not least, there's a cheque in the post for the Rifles "Care for Casualties" Appeal. And you know what, I'd do it again!
Showing posts with label Care for Casualties Appeal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Care for Casualties Appeal. Show all posts
27.2.12
20.2.12
Twelve pound Charity Challenge - DAY 1
Just to make the Challenge extra especially difficult, I went shopping with the children! Not the best plan, but it was the weekend. My usual ploy when they're with me is to keep the trolley rolling, so I walk and lift on the move, while scanning the shelves ahead. Stop and the trouble starts.....
This time I had to stop. My carefully crafted list was short but I needed to take a really good look at the prices. I also needed to shop around and went to FOUR supermarkets. Luckily they're all close to each other; that was the only lucky thing! I was on my knees by the last one.
It was hard deciding what to buy, but it did make me think about what I usually put in my trolley. My food shop can be seven or even more times the £12 limit. What have I been buying?! I used to be quite good at guessing my total as I waited in the checkout queue - now I'm always way under.
So here's my 'teeny weeny bit over' £12 list. I know lists are dull, but this one is important!
ASDA
small chicken £2.82
large onion 14
2x500g pasta 60
soft cheese 250g 68
plain yogurt 500g 55
baked beans 29
bread 47
mozzarella 44
LIDL
2xtinned toms 62
milk 2.272l 1.00
10 eggs 85
carrots 1kg 59
rice 1kg 40
cream crackers 36
split lentils 500g 88
TESCO
cornflakes 39
tinned peaches 29
FARMFOODS
potatoes 2kg 69
TOTAL £12.06
Blimey! It looks so short and took me so long! A neighbour has kindly given me two leeks from her garden and I have half a tub of Clover left in the fridge. That's it though, a part from leftover flour, sugar and cooking oil in the cupboard, plus the odd dollop of jam or honey. I don't think that's pushing it really? And as I've already said, the money normally spent on the weekly shop is going to the Rifles "Care for Casualties" Appeal.
I probably have a bit of an advantage because I'm catering for the kids and only one adult. Still, three pounds each stretched over seven days - it's going to be interesting!
Breakfast this morning was straightforward enough; just one for milk and cereal and toast for the rest of us. Packed lunches looked a little anaemic, (I'll delve into them in more detail tomorrow when I've heard the verdict!) and lentil soup for me.
Tonight I'm going to lull them into a false sense of security with chicken, roast potatoes and carrots!
This time I had to stop. My carefully crafted list was short but I needed to take a really good look at the prices. I also needed to shop around and went to FOUR supermarkets. Luckily they're all close to each other; that was the only lucky thing! I was on my knees by the last one.
It was hard deciding what to buy, but it did make me think about what I usually put in my trolley. My food shop can be seven or even more times the £12 limit. What have I been buying?! I used to be quite good at guessing my total as I waited in the checkout queue - now I'm always way under.
So here's my 'teeny weeny bit over' £12 list. I know lists are dull, but this one is important!
ASDA
small chicken £2.82
large onion 14
2x500g pasta 60
soft cheese 250g 68
plain yogurt 500g 55
baked beans 29
bread 47
mozzarella 44
LIDL
2xtinned toms 62
milk 2.272l 1.00
10 eggs 85
carrots 1kg 59
rice 1kg 40
cream crackers 36
split lentils 500g 88
TESCO
cornflakes 39
tinned peaches 29
FARMFOODS
potatoes 2kg 69
TOTAL £12.06
Blimey! It looks so short and took me so long! A neighbour has kindly given me two leeks from her garden and I have half a tub of Clover left in the fridge. That's it though, a part from leftover flour, sugar and cooking oil in the cupboard, plus the odd dollop of jam or honey. I don't think that's pushing it really? And as I've already said, the money normally spent on the weekly shop is going to the Rifles "Care for Casualties" Appeal.
I probably have a bit of an advantage because I'm catering for the kids and only one adult. Still, three pounds each stretched over seven days - it's going to be interesting!
Breakfast this morning was straightforward enough; just one for milk and cereal and toast for the rest of us. Packed lunches looked a little anaemic, (I'll delve into them in more detail tomorrow when I've heard the verdict!) and lentil soup for me.
Tonight I'm going to lull them into a false sense of security with chicken, roast potatoes and carrots!
19.2.12
Day 91 - Twelve pound Charity Challenge!
I've wanted to have a go at this for ages! It's possibly a bit bonkers, but I love a challenge and love a bargain, so the idea of spending just twelve pounds on the weekly food shop appeals to me. I've also told a few friends I'm going to do it, so have to now, don't I ?
My Granny had an amazing knack of being able to make something out of nothing. There was never any waste in her kitchen and always a large pot of interesting looking soup. I'm quite sure some of her frugal skills rubbed off on all of us (apart from her fondness for offal)
She was a wonderful cook; I think about her often and know she would have loved this challenge.
Spending so little has made me think long and hard about what to buy and what to cook. Obviously a lot more planning needed. Getting our five-a-day might be tricky and you can forget organic, apart from some sad looking parsley growing in a pot outside the back door. Of course the challenge would be a lot easier if we grew our own vegetables (something I'm going to try this year)
Looking more closely at what I buy has made me realise that fruit and veg make up a hefty chunk of our weekly food bill. More than I thought really.
So what's in and what's out? Well, there'll be no rummaging around in the freezer, but I can use any flour and sugar that's in the cupboard and a spoonful or two of things like honey, jam, and cooking oil. A teeny bit of flexibility is ok, isn't it? Anyway, they're my rules and the money I usually spend on the weekly shop is going to the Rifles "Care for Casualties" Appeal. Please do take a look.
I've done my best to prepare the kids for day one on monday and they seem quite keen! Things might change when they look inside an empty fridge. The youngest was a little shocked when I told her there wouldn't be much in the way of treats or pudding, "No pudding mummy?" Wait until she sees what's in her lunch box....
The fun starts tomorrow!
My Granny had an amazing knack of being able to make something out of nothing. There was never any waste in her kitchen and always a large pot of interesting looking soup. I'm quite sure some of her frugal skills rubbed off on all of us (apart from her fondness for offal)
She was a wonderful cook; I think about her often and know she would have loved this challenge.
Spending so little has made me think long and hard about what to buy and what to cook. Obviously a lot more planning needed. Getting our five-a-day might be tricky and you can forget organic, apart from some sad looking parsley growing in a pot outside the back door. Of course the challenge would be a lot easier if we grew our own vegetables (something I'm going to try this year)
Looking more closely at what I buy has made me realise that fruit and veg make up a hefty chunk of our weekly food bill. More than I thought really.
So what's in and what's out? Well, there'll be no rummaging around in the freezer, but I can use any flour and sugar that's in the cupboard and a spoonful or two of things like honey, jam, and cooking oil. A teeny bit of flexibility is ok, isn't it? Anyway, they're my rules and the money I usually spend on the weekly shop is going to the Rifles "Care for Casualties" Appeal. Please do take a look.
I've done my best to prepare the kids for day one on monday and they seem quite keen! Things might change when they look inside an empty fridge. The youngest was a little shocked when I told her there wouldn't be much in the way of treats or pudding, "No pudding mummy?" Wait until she sees what's in her lunch box....
The fun starts tomorrow!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)